Role of Pharmacists in Detecting Medication Errors in Saudi Arabia: A Systematic Review

  • Mohammed Ahmed Al-Anzi et al.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52783/lhep.2024.606
Keywords: Pharmacists; Medication errors; Error prevention; Prescribing errors; Dispensing errors; Clinical pharmacists; Saudi Arabia; Systematic review.

Abstract

Objectives: To study the pharmacists’ contributions to medication error (ME) prevention in Saudi Arabia Methods: To locate research that met the inclusion criteria, a thorough computerized search of relevant databases was carried out. A comprehensive search was carried out on PubMed, SCOPUS, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science to locate relevant material.

Results: Our data included seven trials with 83,705 MEs. MEs reported by pharmacists varied across studies, with rates ranging from approximately 54% to over 96%. The majority of errors reported were related to prescribing and dispensing, with pharmacists consistently identifying more errors compared to other healthcare professionals. Key challenges included poor communication between pharmacists and physicians, which contributed to the occurrence of MEs. The review also highlighted the lack of reporting by other healthcare providers, underscoring the need for a more collaborative approach to reducing MEs.

Conclusion: Pharmacists play a critical role in improving medication safety, but there are gaps in research and practice. While they have proven to be effective in reducing errors, more work is needed to encourage other healthcare professionals to take a more active role in reporting and preventing these errors. Future studies should focus on prospective designs, improving inter-professional communication, and exploring the role of pharmacists in non-hospital settings.

Author Biography

Mohammed Ahmed Al-Anzi et al.

Mohammed Ahmed Al-Anzi 1, Hamed Wadi D Alenezi 2, Ibrahim Muqbil W Alanazi 3, Khalid Mohammed Alanazi 4, Mohammed Moteeb Kh Alenezi 5, Naif Suwailem Salem Alanazi6, Hani Mowaness W Alrawili 7, Khamis Ayed Albishri Alhazmi 8, Mohammad Abduallah Hoymel Alrowili 9, Adel Fraih H Alanazi 10

  1. Consultant Family Medicine, Maternity and Children Hospital, Arar, Saudi Arabia. Email: Malanazi152@moh.gov.sa
  2. Pharmacist Assistant, Irada and Mental Health Complex, Arar, Saudi Arabia. Email: hwalenazi@moh.gov.sa
  3. General Practitioner, Maternity & Pediatric Hospital of Arar, Saudi Arabia. Email: enizi@gmail.com
  4. Pharmacist Assistant, Maternity and Children's Hospital, Arar, Saudi Arabia. Email: kalanazi40@moh.gov.sa
  5. Male Pharmacist Assistant, Maternity and Children's Hospital, Arar, Saudi Arabia. Email: malenazi28@moh.gov.sa
  6. Pharmacist Assistant, Irada and Mental Health Complex, Arar, Saudi Arabia. Email: nasoalanazi@moh.gov.sa
  7. Senior Pharmacist (Poisons), Irada and Mental Health Complex, Arar, Saudi Arabia. Email: hamoalrawili@moh.gov.sa
  8. Pharmacist Assistant, Irada and Mental Health Complex, Arar, Saudi Arabia. Email: khamisaa@moh.gov.sa
  9. Male Pharmacist Assistant, Irada and Mental Health Complex, Arar, Saudi Arabia. Email: moaalrowili@moh.gov.sa
  10. Pharmacist, Forensic Medical Services Center, Saudi Arabia. Email: adfalanazi@moh.gov.sa
Published
2023-02-04
Issue
Vol 2023 No Issue 4 (2023)
Section
Regular Issue
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Letters in High Energy Physics (LHEP) is an open access journal. The articles in LHEP are distributed according to the terms of the creative commons license CC-BY 4.0. Under the terms of this license, copyright is retained by the author while use, distribution and reproduction in any medium are permitted provided proper credit is given to original authors and sources.

Terms of Submission

By submitting an article for publication in LHEP, the submitting author asserts that:

1. The article presents original contributions by the author(s) which have not been published previously in a peer-reviewed medium and are not subject to copyright protection.

2. The co-authors of the article, if any, as well as any institution whose approval is required, agree to the publication of the article in LHEP.